"The life I want..." Luffy pondered for a moment before answering, "To be a pirate, of course! I'll gather a crew, conquer the Grand Line, and become the freest man in the world—the Pirate King!"
"The Pirate King?" Rowan laughed heartily and followed up with a question: "Then tell me, do you even know what a pirate is?"
"What is a pirate?" Luffy asked, eyes full of curiosity.
"If you want to be a pirate, you have to be able to eat great portions of meat and drink great swigs of liquor." Rowan sized Luffy up, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Eating meat? You definitely inherited your grandfather's talent there. But as for drinking..."
Rowan shook his head and clicked his tongue. "You're still a long way off."
"Eh? To be a pirate, you have to know how to drink?" Luffy's young face tightened with worry. It was the first time he had heard such a thing, and a part of him didn't want to believe it.
But then he remembered Shanks and his crew back at Foosha Village. They spent every day drinking and throwing parties. Even when he had shared a cup with Ace and Sabo to become brothers, they had looked so bold and happy while drinking.
With that thought, Luffy began to believe him.
Seeing Luffy's hesitation, Rowan's expression turned solemn. "Since you're always shouting about being the Pirate King, you must know about Roger, right?"
"Roger?" Luffy's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously. "Of course! Gold Roger, the Pirate King! He's Ace's old man. My goal is to become a man just like him."
Whenever he spoke of Roger, Luffy's face was filled with reverence.
"Then do you know that Roger's alcohol tolerance was among the greatest on the high seas? He used to drink from a bowl this big."
Rowan used his hands to gesture a massive bowl, at least a meter and a half in diameter. Luffy's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"That big?!"
"Yes, that big. His tolerance was so high that even your Great-Grandpa and your Grandpa Garp had to admit defeat. Oh, and then there's Red-Haired Shanks."
"Shanks?" At the mention of that name, Luffy perked up even more.
"You've seen Shanks. He's no slouch when it comes to drinking, is he?"
"Mm-hmm!" Luffy couldn't agree more.
"Well, did you know that when I first met Shanks, he was just an apprentice on Roger's ship? He was about the same age you were when you first met him. Even back then, his tolerance was incredible. I heard he learned how to drink like that because Roger personally taught him."
"Is... is that true?" Hearing this, Luffy's resolve finally wavered.
But soon, a shadow of gloom crossed his small face. "But I don't know how to drink at all. What should I do...?"
Aside from that one time with Ace and Sabo, Luffy had never touched alcohol.
"It doesn't matter if you don't know how. You can start practicing right now!"
With a mysterious smile, Rowan handed the wine gourd over to Luffy. "How about it? If you want to be a pirate, take a swig."
Luffy looked at the gourd in his hands with deep hesitation. But recalling Rowan's stories, he eventually hardened his heart and yanked out the cork.
"For the sake of being the Pirate King, I'll do it!"
With a loud shout, Luffy hoisted the gourd and took a massive, determined gulp.
The moment the strong spirits hit his throat, Luffy's expression transformed. His entire face turned a dark shade of purple. He yanked the gourd away, and the massive mouthful of liquor was instantly sprayed back out into the ocean.
"Cough! Cough! Hack!"
Luffy's face and neck turned beet red as he broke into a violent coughing fit.
Seeing the boy's pathetic state, a mischievous Rowan doubled over with laughter.
"Gahahaha! You brat! Who drinks a spirit that strong in one big gulp?! Hahaha!"
Under the weight of Rowan's laughter, it took a long while for Luffy to catch his breath. His mouth and throat felt like they were on fire. To soothe the pain, he stuck his tongue out and panted heavily. "Great-Grandpa, that stuff you drink is terrible! If I want to be a pirate, do I really have to learn to drink that?"
"Hahaha, anyone would choke drinking it like that."
Mission accomplished, Rowan took the gourd back. He took a small, refined sip and let a look of bliss wash over his aged face. This liquor was nearly 160 proof; even with his current physical constitution, he wouldn't dare be as reckless as Luffy just was. It would have been weirder if the boy hadn't choked.
Seeing Luffy's confused expression, Rowan shook his head and chuckled. "What does being a pirate have to do with drinking? I was just teasing you, silly brat."
He had made up that whole story just to see the look on the kid's face when the high-proof liquor hit him. Luffy really was too gullible; he believed everything he was told.
"Teasing me?" Luffy's face instantly deflated, his lip pouting out. But then he seemed to realize something, and his grievance vanished, replaced by a grin. "Wait, so if I'm a pirate, I don't have to learn to drink?"
"You really are too optimistic for your own good..." Rowan shook his head at the boy's carefree nature.
"By the way, Great-Grandpa, when are we getting to Marine Headquarters? This little boat is too slow. We should get a big ship; that way we can store more food!"
The memory of starving at sea had left Luffy with a lingering fear. In his world, there was nothing more terrifying than an empty stomach.
"A big ship? Do you have the money, or do I?" Rowan grumbled.
Even though he was a retired Vice Admiral with powerful connections and a massive pension, he hadn't bothered to collect his pay in years since he had no use for it in Foosha Village. That was why he'd had to pull that "alternative payment" stunt at Ririka's place.
"Huh? Money? I don't have any..." Luffy deflated like a popped balloon.
Back in Foosha Village, if he was hungry, he could just hunt in the mountains. Out here, it seemed that no money meant no food. And since they had left Shells Town in a hurry, they hadn't packed much.
Sensing Luffy's anxiety, Rowan exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Relax. We're almost at the next island. I won't let you starve that long."
Rowan looked out at the sea ahead. In the distance, the faint silhouette of an island had begun to emerge.
If he remembered correctly... that should be the island where Cocoyasi Village was located.
.......................BONUS CHAPTER IS COMING.............................
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